A Massachusetts World War II veteran was a mystery to his family; now they've learned he was a Purple Heart recipient

Springfield native Stanley F. Kawa died of a brain tumor in 1950 at age 31, several years after he returned from his service in World War II and just months before the birth of his only daughter.

At the time of his death, Kawa was living with his wife, Helen, in Indian Orchard and working at the American Bosch factory in the North End, while also keenly aware of the illness that would ultimately claim his life.

With his premature death, Kawa was never able to tell his family many things, and he became a mystery in the life of his daughter, Marcia Salamon. She never even saw a picture of her father until she was in her 60s.

Helen Kawa spent the rest of her life in the house she and Stanley Kawa built together in Indian Orchard. But her late husband was rarely discussed, according to Salamon's daughter Michelle Sanchez, 45, of Amesbury.

Now, nearly seven decades after his death, Stanley Kawa's family has come into possession of a crucial piece of the puzzle of his identity: his Army uniform.

The uniform found its way back to Sanchez via the generosity of a stranger. A 35-year-old war memorabilia enthusiast from Fort Mill, South Carolina, named Charles "C.J." Kirkland discovered and purchased Kawa's uniform on eBay, then set about trying to find the family of the soldier who once wore it.

The uniform of Stanley F. Kawa.

Earlier this year, a distant relative reached out to Sanchez about the uniform. The relative said they had been contacted by Kirkland. While initially wary, Sanchez said she followed her "gut feeling" and pursued the matter.

"It turned out to be legitimate, which is really amazing," she said.

With the uniform, Sanchez and Salamon, now 67, have been given a rare insight into the man Kawa was. Kirkland's research showed that the late husband and father was in the Regimental Headquarters Company of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. He was, apparently, one of the first U.S. troops to land in the Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden -- a large Allied airborne operation. He was also a Purple Heart recipient.

"It's crazy," Sanchez said of the uniform and the revelations that have come with it.

Even still, Kawa's life remains largely a mystery. The family still doesn't know what Kawa won the Purple Heart for. They may never know. Sanchez said large parts of her grandfather's military records were destroyed in a fire at a military facility years ago.

"You answer some questions and then more questions pop up," she said. "We wish we had asked more questions when my grandmother and my step-grandfather were alive. Just to know, you know?"

Nevertheless, the uniform is a wonderful surprise, she said.

Sanchez moved to Amesbury years ago and lives there now with her twin 12-year-old boys and 15-year-old daughter. Her brothers, Daniel Salamon and Steven Salamon, live in Indian Orchard and Chicopee, respectively.

"It's completely surprising and exciting and humbling," Sanchez said. "That someone would buy this and then give it away ... it's just what he does, I guess. He finds things and then he tries to reunite them with their family. It's pretty amazing."

Kirkland said he had an interest in military history ever since he was young. He served in the Army himself for eight years, including a rotation in Afghanistan.

He now spends his time meeting with and interviewing veterans and their families. He plans to create a collection of oral histories about soldiers who served in World War II, as well as the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Kirkland said the thing that initially struck about Kawa's uniform was the number of medals. They indicated that Kawa had served in five campaigns throughout Europe during the war.

"That piqued my interest," Kirkland said. "I wanted to know more about what happened to him, I wanted to know more about his story."

After his research led him back to Kawa's family, it only seemed natural that the uniform be returned to them, Kirkland said.

"After speaking with Michelle and hearing Stanley's story that was it, I knew what needed to happen -- I needed to send the uniform home," he said. "Now they have a piece of him that they can hold onto. ... Hopefully they'll be able to pass that down so that he's not forgotten as time progresses."

Kirkland said preserving items like Kawa's uniform is important to keep the memory of their service alive.

"Every day we lose hundreds of veterans, and with each one of those we lose stories -- we lose a piece of history," he said. "As a veteran myself I feel obligated to help preserve those legacies and help pass them on for future generations."

The uniform is currently in the possession of Greg Lynch, a Veterans of Foreign Wars quartermaster in New Hampshire. Kirkland contacted Lynch earlier this year, sending him the uniform so that it could be formally presented to Kawa's family. Lynch said it was "wonderful" to be a part of the reunification process.

The uniform will be presented to Sanchez at a ceremony at Amesbury City Hall at 10 a.m. Saturday. In a statement, Amesbury Mayor Ken Gray said Kirkland had "unlocked a piece of history" for Kawa's family.

"A quick glance into the history of Stanley's military service shows a man who served with honor and bravery," Gray said. "I'm pleased the city is able to play a small role in the presentation of Stanley's uniform to its rightful owners."